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Post subject: Heartfield DR 6C
Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:52 pm
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Does anyone else here own a Heartfield? I just got a 6 string from Talkbass and there's very little info out on the net. I love this bass so much. It sounds like a piano it's so big. I didn't even pick up my 2008 Fender American Jazz 5 once at my band's last rehearsal. I don't understand why no one raves about these. Great sustain. Very good B string considering the scale. The EMG pups are great. The tone of the pre amp is pretty good though I would prefer the standard Treble Mid Bass controls rather than the mid sweep. It was made in the FujiGen guitar factory in Japan, 1993. I doesn't feel nor sound like an Ibanez at all. The workmanship/craftsman ship is amazing. The wide 19.3mm neck is super fast to get around, though I have very long fingers so mileage may vary. The radius is a flattish 20", almost like a classical guitar. Super nice for slapping. I wonder why more basses don't have that radius.
Here's some pix from the guy I bought it from. Haven't gotten any pictures shot yet.
Image

Image


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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:56 am
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I never had one, but I remember seeing the Heartfield basses at a local dealer back in the late 80s, early 90s. I thought they looked and sounded good.

I still have the 1989 Heartfield brochure.


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Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:45 am
I don't know the first thing about them, but yours looks very nice. The photos show a what looks like a well put together tight bass. Good luck with it.


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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 4:48 am
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glbass, killer bass rig. That thing must rattle the rafters! Thanks for the comment. You can find these basses in the $600 range.


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 5:25 am
Hey hypersloth; Thanks, it sounds good to me. I took a long time finding this set up. 2x12's Have a nice tone, and they pound. I have very short fingers, one reason why I opted for a #6 neck on my G&L SB-2. It's a vintage thin neck with a 7.5 diameter. Jazz neck at the nut. I would love to hear your bass through the Mesa M6 Carbine head. The crystal and China in the China cabinet would be dancing around, big time.


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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:03 am
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Oh I love 2x12's. I have an old SWR Big Foot cab with 2 12"s. I have a Markbass LMII that's pretty cool but I want something with a slightly more vintage voicing. Of course I want it all....old but new! I would buy a newer Markbass with the tube but they're pretty pricey still. An L.A. buddy of mine has the M6. He totally loves it. He's been a Mesa guy for like 20 years starting with the Mesa 400. Pure tube heaven!


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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 10:25 am
I went my way of Fender, Ampeg, Traynor, Marshall MB Series. Then I tried the Mesa. I won't use anything else but the Mesa gear. It's made to last by hand in the U.S.A. They stand behind their product too. Good stuff man. The M6 Carbine is a Hybred that sounds all tube.


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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:01 pm
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I'd love to have a Heartfield DR 6 string contrabass!!! Very high quality. Saw one for a great price recently....

If they were still being made I'd choose a Heartfield over the Yamaha TRB Neck-Thru 6 any day for real.


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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 7:31 pm
From what I've seen of yours, I agree.


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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:03 pm
Any plans for getting more?


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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 5:19 am
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The Heartfield line is probably some of the most innovative electric basses of the 20th Century right behind the 1951 P-bass and the original Deluxe Bass.

The necks, especially on the body-throughs were a joy and usually had a large radius. I like a 12 inch radius myself. The electronics were unmatched in sophistication and many had both the traditional high impedance phone plug output PLUS a low impedance XLR output. I'm in the market for an excellent dual output 4 string neck-through version. The Heartfield project was totally cutting edge and whipped up on anything anyone else then or since.

The problems with the Heartfield project were two fold. Firstly and probably the deciding factor was that a Heartfield bass cost about as much if not MORE to produce than a USA Fender due to the Yen versus US Dollar exchange rate of the time. You could buy a USA P or J for about the same cost. Second, sales were not good compared to the more familiar USA made P and J.

For the most part, the entire Heartfield line was composed of precision crafted instruments made with the best available tonewoods, hardware and electronics on the planet. Yet they went without a market because, if nothing else, they were over-engineered and ultimately too costly to produce when compared to USA production of the Fender USA basses of the day. Why pay $800 for a neck through Heartfield dual output 4 stringer when you could by a USA Jazz for $50 more? That was the killer.

However, some valuable lessons were learned from the Heartfield project. Unfortunately most of these valuable lessons have been completely forgotten. What seems to be the lesson that was remembered by the powers that be was that the mass market does not want anything but classic P's and J's...so crank them out!

Heartfield made great instruments, using great wood, employing skilled craftsmen, incorporating remarkable electronics innovations especially for the dual output versions. For a bass of ANY origin...they were awesome instruments. But unfortunately the Heartfield basses were just too expensive when compared to the USA P's and J's of the day. I'd love to have one. Hope you enjoy yours. They were probably the best basses ever to come out of Japan.

Some Heartfield project basses say Heartfield, some say Heartfield by Fender and some say are labeled full blown Fender.

About all that is left of the Heartfield project's work still in production is the Squier MB series which is an inferior low-rent copy. Squier even puts a huge skull and cross-bones decal on it. I see that as sort of a warning...."Do not stray too far from the traditional P&J path me hearties....for THERE be monsters."


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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 6:32 am
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Hey brother Dave! I have already book marked you links a year ago or more. Thanks for the info. I do love my bass. Its 20'' radius feels like home to me: I like to noodle on classical guitar. It makes slapping really easy for me. It is a shame that Fender couldn't somehow keep the line alive, it really does feel like a custom boutique bass. Good luck on your search. I will keep spreading the word to my bass playing friends, though I might not to keep the price low, lol!


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Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 1:45 pm
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It's funny Troy Saunders from Mastadon plays a Heartfield. I also saw numerous pictures of Steve Bailey playing one back in the day. I new a guy in one of my recording classes that had one. The XLR out on it was what grabbed my attention. I believe that Wal basses from that same period also had that feature. I know that the Fordera Presentation Anthony Jackson Contra Bass only has a pickup and an XLR out too.

Peace Out,
Rev J


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Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 1:20 pm
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Yeah I like the idea of nothing "dirtying up" my signal but I feel safer with tone knob and volume knob. Can hide the finger noise that way!


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Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 1:41 pm
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hypersloth wrote:
Yeah I like the idea of nothing "dirtying up" my signal but I feel safer with tone knob and volume knob. Can hide the finger noise that way!


I've also read that doing the direct to jack pickup wiring also lowers impedance. For me the volume and tone controls are kind of redundant I usually run everything wide open and vary my tone with plucking hand placement and pickup panning sometimes I do kill my volume if I have to answer the phone or something.

Peace Out,
Rev J


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